A Look Back at Past Massillon Teams – Part 9 – The 1998 Season

This is the ninth of a 10-part series looking back at all of the Massillon teams of the 1990s.

Head Coach: Rick Shepas (1st Year)
Overall Record: 4-6
Regular Season Record: 4-6
Playoff Results: Division I, Region 3, 16th; did not qualify
Key Players: Quarterback Dave Irwin, quarterback Steve Eyerman, quarterback Thomas Fichter, running back Marc Cleveland, running back Julian Miller, wide receiver Rocky Dorsey, defensive lineman Ellery Moore, defensive back Jason Jarvis, linebacker Dan Studer and punter Luke Shilling
All-Ohio: Luke Shilling (1st), Ellery Moore (SM)

Newly hired Coach Rick Shepas is credited with ushering the modern-day offense into the the Massillon football program.  Gone were the days of the wing-T and power-I; in came the spread, with multiple receivers and the quarterback in the shotgun.  But the change was not without some  growing pains as the youthful Tigers finished the season with a 4-6 record, their first losing campaign in 32 years and the second since the time of Paul Brown.  Massillon opened with national power Clovis West from Fresno, California, losing respectfully, 21-6.  In the middle of the season Glen Mills, which is a prison team of older players, overwhelmed the Tigers 19-0.  And it wrapped up with a 42-20 loss to eventual Division I state champion Canton McKinley.  But there was a big win over Akron St. Vincent.

PIVOTAL GAMES

Mansfield – In spite of the expected loss to Clovis West, Massillon entered the game with a 2-1 record, owing to victories over Lima Senior and Akron Garfield.  But a 21-0 road loss to the Tygers was a preview of the difficult times come.  Mansfield scored in each of the first three quarters, while outgaining the Tigers 359-191.  Meanwhile, the spread offense, which is designed to throw the ball around 40% of the time, managed just 42 yards in the air on a 5 of 14 effort.  The only bright spot was Marc Cleveland rushing 20 times for 121 yards.

Akron St. Vincent – It was Week 9 and Massillon was sitting on a 3-5 record, with three consecutive losses to Glen Mills, Division III state runner-up Walsh Jesuit (13-1) and Cincinnati Moeller (7-3).  Yet another challenge awaited the Tigers with the 6-2 Irish coming to town.  This appeared to be only chance to salvage some kind of success, with No. 1 Canton McKinley looming the following week.  Fortunately, Massillon turned in its best performance of the year, winning the game, 36-7.  By that time junior quarterback Dave Irwin had become the starter and he had a great day, completing 12 of 17 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns.  And Marc Cleveland added to that production, rushing 16 times for 126 yards and two scores.  The Tigers opened the game with 23 consecutive points, with touchdowns coming from Marcus Simpson (9-yard pass), Cleveland (1-yard run), Joe Price (6-yard pass) and Brett Marshall (19-yard field goal).  In the fourth quarter Massillon put the game away with scores coming from Price (10-yard pass) and Cleveland (40-yard run).  Luke Shilling punted six times, averaging nearly 40 yards per attempt.

Canton McKinley – The Tigers trailed the Bulldogs (8-1) just 19-17 at the half, but just couldn’t keep up in the second, eventually falling 42-20.  Quarterback Dave Irwin scored in the first quarter on a 2-yard run, giving his team a brief 7-6 lead.  In the second, after Brett Marshall converted a 23-yard field goal, Julian Miller (photo) followed with a 2-yard touchdown run.  In the third quarter Marshall kicked another field goal, this one from 20 yards, and Massillon again had the lead, at 20-19.  But McKinley owned the rest with 23 consecutive points, including the return of a blocked punt.  Marc Cleveland rushed 22 times for 122 yards, Irwin completed 15 of 23 passes for 133 yards and Ron Lynn caught seven balls for 66 yards.  The Bulldogs would go on in the playoffs to revenge a regular season loss to Cleveland St. Ignatius and then capture their second consecutive Division I state title with a 33-10 victory over Cincinnati St. Xavier.